Off-field distractions?
Johnny Football has a special ability to keep them exactly in their place -- off the field. That's what Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Roger Staubach sees in Texas A&M sophomore quarterback Johnny Manziel, who might be on his way to a second consecutive Heisman Trophy.
Staubach spoke with "NFL AM" Thursday about a variety of NFL topics, but had some interesting comments when the topic turned to Manziel.
"I didn't really talk to the press after the games. I don't know why ... today, it just seems Johnny needs a little coaching, I think, off the field. What a player he is, though. Even after the season last year when he was caught up in all the hoopla with the Heisman and everything, he still played one heck of a game against Oklahoma," Staubach said. "He seems like he can deal with the distractions and not have it affect him on the field, which is amazing. I think distractions and issues can affect your play on the field, but ole Johnny Football, it just doesn't seem to bother him."
Manziel's whirlwind offseason drew plenty of attention, most of it negative, but the 6-foot, 200-pound dynamo has once again engineered the helm of one of college football's most exciting offenses this season. The Aggies face Arkansas Saturday in their second Southeastern Conference test of the season.
Added Staubach: "He needs to keep maturing. He's a good kid. He's not a bad kid at all. A lot's happened to him in a way. He's been able to handle it on the field, which is amazing."
Staubach also believes Manziel has the physical skills to make it in the NFL, particularly with some of the smaller quarterbacks paving a path through old stereotypes that quarterbacks must be of a certain size.
"You don't have to be 6-5. Drew Brees proved that, and we see it with Russell Wilson," Staubach told Yahoo! Sports. "(It's) really about instincts and arm strength. Size, it's being shown, is not imperative if you have those qualities."
Staubach said he is on the hunt for an Aggies fan working at Cowboys Stadium who kiddingly pasted a photo of Manziel over a photo of Staubach in one of the stadium's conference rooms.
"We have a lot of Aggies in our group, so I'm still trying to find out who did it," he said.
Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter @ChaseGoodbread.
